Featured Posts
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Sorrow Like My Sorrow – Lamentations 1:12
Can we really understand the suffering of another person or they ours?
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What Is Biblical Literacy?
We complain about it, write about it, claim it’s important or even critical, design programs to create it, but what is it? I don’t mean that none of us know what we mean when we say “biblically literate” or “biblically illiterate,” but do we all mean the same thing? I don’t think we do, and…
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Fences: Mending or Rending
The following is a sermon I presented at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Pensacola on September 11,2005 and originally posted here on September 13, 2005. I’m reposting it because when I went to look for it, I found that the original post had somehow been truncated, and also because there is a one word at a…
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Experiencing the (Baptism of the) Holy Spirit
This is a topic where I tend to make just about everyone uncomfortable. Long time readers may recall a previous discussion of speaking in tongues, and my own experience of it. Those who expect me to be intellectually oriented and rational are uncomfortable with mystical experiences, and many who are comfortable with the mystical experiences…
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They Really Do Believe the Earth is Stationary
Occasionally when I mention “geocentricity” people will roll their eyes and let me know that nobody is believes that any more, nobody is that stupid, and comparing the rejection of overwhelming amounts of modern science in favor of young earth creationism with similar rejection of science by geocentrists is silly, because there aren’t any such…
Setting the Proper Priority for Tolerance as a Value
Every so often I have a conversation with someone who knows I value tolerance that goes something like this: Q: So you believe in tolerance? Me: (Heroically resisting the urge to tear apart the phrase “believe in x”) Yes, I value tolerance. Q: But then you have to tolerate intolerant people. Me: No, actually I…
The Orthodox Study Bible: Wrap-Up (For the Moment)
I received the Orthodox Study Bible free from Thomas Nelson in their blogger book review program, and as I have been using it in my personal devotions and study for my lectionary notes, (which notes have languished during a very busy period), I have already written about it substantially. But just what does it mean…
Christian Carnival CCLXII Coming Here!
Neither does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but rather puts it on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. In this way let your light shine before people, so they can see your good deeds, and give glory to your Father who is…
Today at the John Webb Winter Golf Tournament
I will be spending most of the day at the golf tournament, or doing preparation or cleaning up. As I have time, I will tweet from there or do a little live blogging, and even possibly post some pictures. We’re raising money for the child life program at Sacred Heart Hospital here in Pensacola. Check…
A KJV-Only Comment on my Video
For a video that includes nothing but me talking and some amateur (by me) captions, my Why I Hate the KJV video has done well on YouTube. With 3563 viewings as of the time I’m posting this, and 231 comments. I must confess that I have not paid much attention to the comments thread, because…
What Stimulus Proponents Could Learn from a Book Title
Readers of this blog know that I preferred our current president over his opponent in the election. After the bailout fiasco, I would have dearly loved to have had a candidate who actually opposed the whole idea. McCain bleated about socialism, but I honestly don’t believe he could have identified a capitalist or a socialist…
Annoyed at Certain Christian Labels
On Wednesday I got snarky about a post by Jim West, dealing with “Biblical faith” and yesterday I wrote about a test that is alleged (incorrectly) to determine whether I have a “Biblical worldview.” There’s a common element here that annoys me, and it’s these multi-word or hyphenated Christian labels for things that might well…
Having Trouble Giving?
I found this pretty funny! CVC Church – Tithe Phobia – The best home videos are here HT: Church Tithes and Offerings.
So I AM a Secular Humanist
… at least according to this test. (HT: TheoPoetic Musings, who also turned out to be a secular humanist, though not quite as much of one as I am.) I scored 62 of 166, 37% which makes me a secular humanist! The interesting thing about this test was that I had a hard time deciding…
A New Kind of Publishing
When I was persuading by my wife and daughter to get a 21st century cell phone, my now indispensable Palm Centro, my friends were amused but not surprised that I soon had Bible software on it. I must confess that the one time I used that Bible in church I got some really suspicious looks. …
Change *I* Can Believe In!
White House unbuttons formal dress code. I hate formal.
In Which I Pay for Following Links
Metacatholic reports that Jim West has taken leave of his senses, and since I always read whatever Doug has to say (though not Jim)*, I wandered over to see what would make Doug say such a thing. I found there some odd notes on the relationship of science and faith, as report by Doug of…
Christian Carnival Hosting
I believe there are a number of Christian readers of this blog who have never participated in or hosted the Christian Carnival. If you are one of these, let me suggest participation. If you don’t want to do it for the fun of reading all those entries, consider doing it for the incoming links and…
If You Are Having Trouble Accessing God, Read This
When I’m teaching church members, I like to emphasize service in one’s choice of a church congregation. The best congregation for you is the one where you can best fulfill your call to minister to others. I believe everyone has such a call. That’s a generalization that often doesn’t answer that many questions, but it…
Christian Carnival CCLXI Posted
… at The Ignorant Historian. There’s some good stuff in there. I also remind folks of the new archive I’m maintaining here.
Christian Carnival Archive
I have created a new Christian Carnival Archive, which includes posts to date, and also links to the previous archives, so that you can have one central place from which to locate all available Christian Carnival editions.
Government Oversight in Action
The only thing worse than lack of oversight may be oversight. Citigroup is supposed to refuse delivery of a plane they ordered in 2005. I’d love to know the bottom line, but paying a penalty for breaking a contract doesn’t sound like a good use of the money either. Oh, it was a French company….
A Note from my Wife
… discussing the John Webb Winter Golf Tournament, which is what consumes our family at this time of year. Take a look. It’s a good cause.
Free Speech and Savings Possible
… at one blow. Eliminate these. I have never been able to understand how controls on the money people use in order to speak could be considered consistent with free speech. In fact, it’s a way to control speech. So we could eliminate regulations, reduce the federal budget, make it easier to get into campaigning…
Bad Reasons for Getting Out of a War
I’m an opponent of the Iraq war, but I oppose it on strategic grounds. Even now, I believe that we have gained very little, and are in fact worse off than when we started. After a period of time we will find that Iraq has become another haven for terrorists, perhaps not as bad as…
The Need for my Series on Interpreting the Bible
… amongst many other things. As I’m preparing to move forward in this series, which covers only one small area, I find this post from the generally enlightening Jason Rosenhouse, who lauds simplistic arguments in putting down other simplistic arguments. He approvingly quotes Coyne: Unfortunately, some theologians with a deistic bent seem to think that…
A Thousand Word Picture
… or perhaps forbidding a thousand words, at Exploring our Matrix.
Using Greek and Hebrew in Preaching
Bill Mounce has some excellent suggestions.